


Sleep?

by supercali



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fluff, Insomnia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 06:26:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10431123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercali/pseuds/supercali
Summary: Aaron worries when Robert stops sleeping.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is for another tumblr prompt for an exhausted Robert with Aaron taking care of him.
> 
> It kind of got away from me a bit and I'm not completely happy with it but here it is :)

Aaron reached out to the other side of the bed when he woke, sighing when he felt the cold mattress under his fingers. This was about the tenth night in a row that he’d woken up and Robert hadn’t been next to him. Usually he was woken by Robert’s kicks but lately he seemed to wake just after Robert had got up. He never thought he’d miss being kicked in the shin by his husband but he was starting to get worried. Dragging himself from the warm, comfortable bed he made his way through the flat to find Robert.

“Again?” He couldn’t help himself. Robert refused to even consider there was something wrong but Aaron knew there was. He wasn’t sleeping, more often than not he didn’t come back to bed and Aaron would find him slumped on the couch the next morning, the shadows under his eyes growing with each day that passed.

“Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I don’t care about that, I care about you. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Like what?”

“I dunno, anything? There must be a reason you’re stumbling round here like a zombie most days.”

“You really know how to sweet talk a guy, don’t you?”

“Robert!”

“I don't know. I just can't sleep.” Aaron ran a soothing hand through Robert’s hair scratching lightly at his scalp. It always amused him how Robert would almost purr when he did it but it seemed to help relax him.

“Maybe you should take tomorrow off?”

“Can’t.” He replied around a large yawn, “Meetings all day. Meetings that Nicola arranged before she and Jimmy sodded off to visit Rodney for a month. I’m fine, Aaron, honestly it’ll get better when they’re back. Go back to bed, there’s no point us both sitting here awake.”

Aaron couldn’t think of a good reason to refuse and he could feel his eyelids drooping so he stumbled back to bed, promising himself he’d talk more to Robert tomorrow and find out what was going on because he’d had busy weeks at work before and not been like this.

*************************

The next morning Robert had gone when Aaron woke up, his note saying he’d gone in early to try and clear some of the paperwork before his meetings. More to the point, Aaron thought, was that he wanted to avoid Aaron asking more questions.

He didn’t get chance to talk to him the rest of the day and then he got a phone call from his contact in France giving him and Adam the chance of more business which they couldn’t afford to turn down.

“Adam come on I went last time!” Aaron protested when Adam told him he couldn’t go.

“Yeah but Vic and I...we’ve got our appointment, about the IVF. I can’t miss it, she’s got all her hopes pinned on this.” Aaron knew it wasn’t just Victoria who was hoping it would work. “Anyway, few days in France, what’s not to love.”

“Robert’s not sleeping, I’m worried about him.” Aaron could feel the blush climbing up his cheeks. He still got embarrassed discussing him and Robert even to his best mate.

“He’s a grown man, he can take care of himself for a few days. We can’t turn this down, Aaron.”

Aaron knew that but he was worried but he called the contact back and then made arrangements for a hotel before heading home to tell Robert and Liv the news. As predicted Robert insisted he should go, that they’d both be fine.

**********************

A week later Aaron drove back into the village, happy with what he’d achieved while he was away but more than ready to be back with his family. He didn’t bother going to the scrap yard, he’d see Adam tomorrow, instead he headed straight home, eager to see his husband. Robert’s car was parked in its usual place and Aaron still got a thrill of happiness from seeing it, their house, every time he came home. What he wasn’t happy to see was Robert apparently fast asleep in the car.

After tapping on the window he carefully opened the door, “Robert?”

“A’ron.”

“You sleeping here now?”

“Hmm? No, jus’ tired.” Aaron took a good look at him, the shadows under his eyes were horrendous and he was pale.

“Come on, let’s get you inside.” He stumbled as Robert leant all his weight onto him as he got out of the car. Eventually they got inside and he deposited his husband on the sofa and crouched in front of him. “Not exactly the welcome home I imagined. Have you slept at all while I’ve been gone?”

“Don’t sleep when you’re not here.”

“Right well as I’m back now you can take yourself off to bed for a bit. Come on.” He holds out a hand but Robert doesn’t move. “Robert?”

“I...” He leans forward, head in his hands. “So tired, Aaron, I haven’t got the energy to even get up.” Aaron frowned but took Robert’s hands in his, kissed his forehead gently.

“Come on, lay down here.” He pulled his shoes off, having not bothered when they came in the front door and lifted his legs onto the sofa. By the time he turned back from picking up the blanket from the back of a chair, Robert had curled up against the cushions and was staring at Aaron through half closed eyes. He smiled and pressed another kiss to his forehead before unfolding the blanket and wrapping it around him, just like Robert had for him in the past. “There, try and get some sleep. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

“No. Stay here. Please?” Robert grabbed his wrist, eyes pleading.

“All right.” He sat down beside the sofa on the floor, taking Robert’s hand in his.  As soon as Robert had drifted off, Aaron took out his phone and started searching for information.

An hour or so later, Robert was thankfully still sleeping and Aaron was preparing dinner when he heard the front door open.

“Anyone home?” He heard Liv shout and he poked his head out of the door into the hallway. “Hey, you’re back!”

“Yeah, Robert’s sleeping so keep the noise down, would you?” He hugs her tight. “Come and sit down, I want to talk to you.”

He listens as she tells him that Robert hasn’t been sleeping the whole time he’s been away, or if he had it wasn’t for long, that he’s been working all hours, comforting Victoria when her and Adam’s appointment didn’t go well. Aaron finds himself wondering if he’s the only one who notices anything about Robert, whether anyone else realised just how exhausted he was.

“Anything else?”

“He’s been helping me with my revision. He insisted! In fact he was supposed to help me tonight with my Spanish stuff.”

“Well it can wait. Seriously Liv, he couldn’t even get out of the car he was that tired. You’ve got time, just give me a few days to work this out. You can do me a favour though, before he wakes up.”

************************

He’s still sitting at the kitchen table when Robert stumbles in three hours later, hair all over the place, rubbing at his eyes. He doesn’t look much better but at least he slept for a good few hours. Liv has ensconced herself in her room, her music just about loud enough for him to hear.

“Hey, Liv and I have eaten. You want me to reheat something?”

“Nah, not hungry.”

“Feel any better?” He asks as Robert drapes himself over Aaron to hug him, arms folding around his shoulders.

“Hmm, a bit. Need coffee though. Promised Liv I’d help her, thought she’d wake me.”

“I told her not to.” He feels Robert pull away, can tell he’s tense, ready to argue, he can sense it. “Don’t start, you needed to sleep. Liv’s revision can wait a bit.”

“No Aaron, it can’t! It’s important! I promised her.”

“I know you did, but right now you’re more important. She told me what’s been going on, how you’ve been at the office at all hours, then you come home and help her, or comfort Vic and I know before you say, she’s your sister, I know that, but you’re going to kill yourself. You’re trying to be everything to everyone and you’re suffering because of it.” Robert doesn’t answer, just slumps against the kitchen counter, pausing his search for the coffee. “You can’t keep this up.”

“So what, I tell my sister I can’t be there for her to cry on my shoulder? Or I tell Liv I can’t help her? I can’t leave the business to run itself! Tell me what I’m supposed to do?” In his frustration he starts opening cupboards and shoving things aside looking for the coffee tin.

“Well first, stop looking for that because it’s not there. You drink too much of it.”

“Aaron!”

“There’s plenty of camomile tea in the cupboard.” He feels bad because he hasn’t thrown the coffee away, but Robert will drink cups and cups of it every day and from his googling he knows it isn’t helping. “It’s that or I make you a doctor’s appointment, right now.”

“I don’t need a damn doctor, I need to sleep! And I definitely don’t need camomile tea!”

“Which is why you don’t need caffeine.” He folds his arms and stares Robert down. “In fact I read that one of the best ways to relax before bed was a nice warm bath, but if you’d rather hype yourself up on caffeine...”

“Fine you win...for now, but this isn’t over.” Aaron laughs slightly because Robert doesn’t look like he could win an argument with a paper bag right now let alone his husband. “I need to talk to Liv.”

“Ok, you do that, I’ll run your bath.” He gets up, kisses Robert on the cheek and makes his way to their bathroom.

Not ten minutes later Robert joins him in the bathroom already looking exhausted again despite his sleep. Aaron carefully pulls his jumper over his head and off before unbuttoning his shirt dismissing Robert’s comments that he’s perfectly capable of doing it himself as he helps him take off the rest of his clothes.

“Let me take care of you. In you get.”

“You gonna join me?” While watching an exhausted Robert leer at him in what he guesses is supposed to be an inviting manner is reasonably entertaining Aaron’s not going to be diverted from his plan. When Robert is in the bath he sits beside it on the floor, leaning against the wall so he’s facing his husband.

“The point is to relax you.”

“I assure you it will.”

“Mmm you’re more likely to fall asleep halfway through. No thank you very much. You get a good night’s sleep and I’ll think about it.” He looks down at his hands. “I just worry about you. No one else seems to notice when you’re struggling and when I’m not here...”

“Hey, I’m fine. I just need sleep.” Robert’s voice is soft as he sinks further down into the water. “No one else sees me that way because I don’t let them. I’m not putting my troubles on Vic and certainly not on Liv.”

Aaron can’t argue with that, he knows he won’t tell people what’s bothering him but it bothers him because people can tell when he’s struggling so why can’t they with Robert. It isn’t like it’s not obvious this time, you can’t miss how exhausted he looks.

“I know you’re worried but this has happened before, eventually it goes away and I sleep normally again, just have to ride it out.”

“Well whatever it is, you’re taking tomorrow off work. I’ll even watch those movies with you that you keep banging on about.” Aaron kneels up and leans over the side of the bath kissing Robert gently, hands pushing through his hair not caring that he was getting wet as Robert pulled him closer with wet hands.

“Mmm, you always look after me.”

“Someone has to keep you out of trouble. Come on you’re turning into a prune.”

He lets Robert climb out of the bath, then briskly dries him with a towel. He can tell Robert is still tired because he doesn’t try to start anything so once he’s dry he leads him to their bed, pulls back the covers and waits for him to climb into bed.

“You want anything?”

“You?”

“Nice try! I’m gonna make us a hot drink, not coffee, then I’ll be right back.”

When he gets back after saying goodnight to Liv, he smiles. Robert’s curled up in his usual position facing Aaron’s side of the bed, one arm clutching the pillow, eyes closed. Aaron puts down the mugs and switches off Robert’s bedside light before getting himself undressed and slipping into bed beside his husband, Robert immediately reaching out for him. He settles down and kisses Robert on the forehead as he always does at night.

“Love you.”  Comes the sleepy mumble from beside him.

“Love you too. Sleep tight.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't planned on adding anything to this but I realised that it had been left open ended so I've added this and it's now complete :)
> 
> I'm not an expert on insomnia and this is more about Robert's fears than that so excuse any mistakes :)

“This is ridiculous.” Robert hissed as he sat next to Aaron in the waiting room, the doctor already twenty minutes late and Robert was never known for patience.

Another week had gone by with no improvement. If anything Robert was sleeping less than ever. Jimmy and Nicola had returned but Robert was working just as hard, and still insisted on helping Liv with her revision. Aaron loved him for it because as much as he wished he could he knew he wouldn't be much help to her at all. He'd never admit it to anyone but his heart melted just a little bit when he found the two of them at the kitchen table, blonde heads bent over her books.

“It is not. It's been nearly a month and we've tried everything I can find on the Internet and you still aren't sleeping. You won't tell me what's bothering you so this is all that's left.” They really had tried everything, from banning Robert from using his laptop just before bed, to hot milky drinks, Aaron had even convinced him that going for a walk every night might help. All to no avail and in the end Aaron had reached his limit and made a doctor’s appointment.

“Nothing’s bothering me!” Robert raised his voice, then looked around apologetically at the looks he was getting.  “I told you.”

“In that case it's best to check that there's nothing else wrong. You know if you're a good boy the doctor might even give you a lollipop.” He laughed at the words Robert mouthed at him. “Yeah I don't think you'll get one using language like that.”

“If only I realised how mean you were before I married you, Dingle.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Aaron sees his name flash up on the screen. “There, go on.”

“Aren't you coming?”

“Nope, just making sure you actually go in.” Robert rolled his eyes but made his way into the doctor’s room. Ten minutes later he was back, rubbing the inside of his elbow. “You ok?”

“Dracula’s got nothing on this lot. I might be anaemic which would explain being tired.”

“Wouldn’t that make you sleep more?” Aaron asked as they got into his car. He refused to let Robert drive, despite the pout he received in return.

“You'd think. It’s not why I can’t sleep but he said he should check anyway since I’ve been tired for a while even before all this, I’m sure they just stick needles in everyone!” He shook a box at him. “Got these too, as if that's going to help.”

“Sleeping pills?”

“Only enough for a few days. Doesn't matter, I'm not taking them.” He put them back in his pocket.

"They might help?” Aaron looks over catches Robert's incredulous look. “All right, don’t start. Just because you don’t like pills doesn’t mean they won’t work.”

“I don't like taking things.” Aaron knew that, getting him to take a simple paracetamol for a headache that's he's been complaining about for hours was a struggle that left Aaron wanting to beat him over the head with whatever was to hand, but he couldn't go on not sleeping.

“What else did he say?”

“That we should keep doing what we’re doing. He suggested I could try yoga.” He wrinkled his nose making Aaron smile. “Also writing things down helps if anything’s worrying me, which might be good, if anything was.”

Aaron didn't say anything. Privately he was beginning to think there was something because Robert was protesting a bit too much.

“Can you drop me at the scrap yard, I’ve got some calls to make.” From the tone of voice Robert was expecting a fight but Aaron wasn’t biting.

He dropped Robert off without a word and then drove home. The first thing he did was rummage through Liv’s drawer in the kitchen where she kept a random assortment of stuff. Finding what he wanted he left it on their bed for Robert to find that night.

***********************

“What’s this?” Robert demanded as soon as Aaron crossed the threshold of their room, holding up the bright blue notepad and pen Aaron had left for him.

“You said the doctor suggested it.” He shrugged. “Look it’s that or sodding yoga!”

“There’s nothing bothering me, Aaron! How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Dunno but obviously something is wrong or you wouldn’t be having trouble sleeping and we wouldn’t be snapping each other’s heads off like this!” With that Aaron goes into their bathroom and switches on the shower. He can feel his shoulders aching where he’s been tense all day. He stands still under the water letting it pound down on him, gradually soothing away the day.

“I’m a git.” He feels Robert step in behind him, arms immediately wrapping around his waist.

“Yeah you are.”

“I’m sorry...I...” He leans his forehead against the back of Aaron’s head.

“You can’t keep on like this, Robert. We can’t...I want to help.” Robert doesn’t say anything just holds on tighter to his husband and Aaron lets him.

***********************

A few nights later, Aaron wakes up to find Robert missing, again. He finds him as he expected in the living room on the sofa, TV on mute in the corner. He doesn’t say anything just sits beside him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

“I said there’s nothing wrong but...do you think that could be it?” Robert says after a while.

“You mean do I think you’re not sleeping because you’re _not_ worried? Well, if anyone would it’d probably be you, I suppose. Do you mean like waiting for the other shoe to drop?”

“Yeah, maybe. I can’t remember the last time it was like this. There’s always been _something,_ Mum and then finding out about Andy, Dad sending me away and having to find my way on my own. Then I meet Chrissie and I think everything is going to be ok, finally.”

“And then you met me.” Aaron doesn’t really want to hear what he might say but he tries to keep his voice even.

“No, no, no, don’t say it like that. You know you’re the best thing to ever happen to me. I wasn’t happy with her, not really. What I’m trying to say is that I’ve always been waiting for something else to happen, because it always has! I don’t want anything else to mess us up, so maybe I’m _actually_ worried about nothing...”

Aaron shifted so Robert could rest his head on his shoulder, trying to find the right words, “Look I don’t know what’s round the corner but look at what we’ve gone through already. Do you really think there’s anything that could get the better of us?”

“No, but...”

“But nothing...Robert you could have walked away from me so many times, most people would have done and maybe I could have done the same but we haven’t and we’re together, we’re still here. Maybe you just need to stop and enjoy it and if anything happens, then it happens.”

“Hmm. We should go on holiday.”

“Ok...” Aaron frowned at the sudden change of subject.

“We should, when Liv’s done with her exams.”

“If you like. Maybe we’ll actually get to go this time.” They could joke about it now, finally after so much time. “Anyway, Mr Dingle, I believe you still owe me a honeymoon.”

“Not takin’ your sister on honeymoon.” He mumbled, shuffling closer to Aaron.

“No, maybe not.” Aaron huffed a laugh and looked down at his husband whose eyes were closed. He settled down to spend the rest of the night on the sofa.

He didn’t think that would be the end of it, Robert wouldn’t suddenly be sleeping eight hours a night but maybe it might just start to get better.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr  @nooneelsecomesclose17


End file.
